I woke in a bed comfortable enough to be my bed from home. Once I had rubbed my eyes open with my knuckles, I realized I was the only one awake. The light in the window was dim and dark blue. Still, I had no intention of going back to sleep.

The night before, I had been so tired that I failed to properly look at the common room. Now that I was alert, I could appreciate how the ceiling had the same spell as the Great Hall ceiling, and how the loft library overlooked the main commons area.

I crept over to the nearest bookshelf. Most of the books looked like they were for older students – thick spines, strange words, labelled as "advanced". Regardless, I slid one from the shelf and opened it to a random page. The smell of parchment and ink wafted over my face and I sighed in content. Yellowing pages rustled under my fingertips, begging to be read.

"Shouldn't you be in Slytherin?" said a voice behind me.

Nearly jumping out of my skin, I whipped my head around to see who had snuck up behind me.

Terry Boot had been the second person to join the Ravenclaw house. When he had sat down next to me at the table, he stared at me for a moment and said, 'Your hair is longer.' Years ago, Uncle Lucius held a dinner party and the Boots, being a respected Pureblood family, attended. When Pansy broke a vase in the hallway, it was Terry that had the sense to kick the shards under a low sitting table. Since then, Draco and I had always requested Uncle Lucius invite the Boots round.

The last time we had seen each other, I had been taller. Now, even from the small distance between us, I could tell he was an inch or so taller.

"No," I said curtly, shutting the book and replacing it on the shelf.

"This is brilliant, isn't it?" he said, pointing up at the ceiling. "I almost thought I was dreaming last night when I saw it. Too much pudding, I figured. But, no. It's real, and it's brilliant."

"Yeah. Yeah, it's nice."

"You used to go by Lestrange," he stated suddenly, his slanted eyes returning my gaze.

"And now I don't," I replied. My stomach grumbled. The window was starting to look brighter. "Let's go get breakfast."

Terry nodded in agreement and as we walked downstairs together, I gave him a sideways glance.

"You won't tell, will you?" I asked.

"No."

Our first class lead us out to the greenhouses, where Professor Sprout has us planting harmless flowers into large orange pots. Whenever her back was turned, Terry poked at some of the mushrooms that lined the walls of the building. The fungi smartened up quickly and began to adhere itself to his pencil until he altogether gave up on getting it back and left it on the wall. His next source of amusement was insisting that Draco, who was stationed across the table from us, had dirt on various parts of his face.

My hand began cramping in Professor McGonagall's class. She gave us a ridiculous number of notes to copy about turning matchsticks into needles. When prompted to actually perform the spell, only a few could. Terry was the first, lazily flicking his wand at his match and earning a point from Professor McGonagall. I was next, but only received a 'Good work' and a suspicious stare.

It was after Charms, when we were headed towards our next class, that I first discovered a trick step near the bottom of a fourth floor staircase. Just as my foot made contact, the step vanished. Startled and unable to keep my balance, I toppled forward and tumbled the rest of the way down.

Pain shot up my hands and knees as I landed. My book bag slid away from me, half of its contents scattering across the floor. Embarrassed and flustered, I waved away my housemates, insisting they shouldn't be late. Silently cursing myself, I stood out of the way until the traffic died down.

"Stupid idiot," I murmured, scooping up all of my quills and depositing them back into the pouch I had foolishly left unzipped. Thankfully, all of my ink bottles were still intact and parchment without wrinkles.

"Need help?"

"No," I said bitterly, glancing at the pair of red-headed twin boys that ignored me and picked up my fallen books anyway. My face burned red as I took them back and shoved them into my bag. "Thank you."

"What's your name?" one of the boys asked.

"Lucy," I replied.

"Oh, I think I remember you from the Sorting Ceremony," said the other boy, propping his elbow onto his brother's shoulder. "Ravenclaw, right?"

I nodded.

"Cool," he said with a grin. "I'm George."

"And I'm Fred."

"Gryffindor."

"What class are you going to, Lucy?" asked the first brother.

"Charms."

"Do you know where to go? Would you like us to take you there?"

If I wasn't blushing before (I had been, by the way), I certainly was now. "I don't want to keep you from your class," is what I meant to say. However, my brain had fizzled into an embarrassed mass of lumpy stuff and my mouth couldn't form coherent words.

But they seemed to understand the strangled protests that came from my mouth.

"I don't think we've got anything important to do," said the first brother, looking over his shoulder at the other twin. "What have we got?"

"Potions."

"Yeah, see? Nothing important."

I laughed and said, "Okay."

"Come on," they beckoned me. Fred put a hand on my shoulder as he spoke to me. "Luckily, Flitwick is pretty nice about tardiness on the first day. You won't be so lucky with all of your professors, though."

"Yeah, Snape definitely won't let you get away with it," George said. I didn't mention that Snape actually did like me.

"And McGonagall's only okay with it during your first week," Fred continued.

"Professor Sprout will be nice about it, but only for about a month."

"You probably won't ever have to worry about Quirrell. Mind that trick step just there."

"He'd sooner scream at his own shadow than tell off a student."

"Flitwick's class is just down this hall," Fred told me. "Now listen. If you ever need help—"

"Or if someone's bothering you—"

"Come find us," Fred finished as we slowed to a halt in front a tall wooden door. "We're happy to help."

They stood together now, their similarities emphasized by their close proximity. With two mischievous grins towering over me, I finally found my voice.

"Thank you," I said, my fingers clutching at the strap of my book bag. "You really didn't have to…"

Fred shook his head. "Nah, it's fine," he said, waving his hand dismissively. "We Gryffindors love our chivalry."

"But clearly not modesty," I mumbled without thinking.

George snickered. Fred tilted his head curiously.

"I was wondering if you had a sense of humor," he said. He spoke to George next. "It's always the Ravenclaws that are full of surprises, I'm telling you."

Still laughing, George nodded at me. "You need to go to class. Can't miss your first day, can you?"

"You're missing your first day," I pointed out.

"We're not first years," Fred said. "Off you go, now."

I waved goodbye and hurried into the classroom, apologizing to Professor Flitwick before sitting between Terry and Lisa.

All first years gathered into a small lecture hall for History of Magic. The loud echoes off the stone walls did nothing to make the constant drone of Professor Binn's lesson more exciting.

Across the hall, I spotted Draco sitting with the Slytherins. He was watching Vincent and Greg play Quidditch with wadded up paper.

Next to me, Terry had propped his feet on top of the table, his text book laying open across his lap. Our spots were near the back, so no one was really bothered by his carelessness.

"This is dull," he murmured, just loud enough for me to hear. "This is so stupid."

"We have this class again tomorrow," I told him.

"I could die," Terry said. "I could die, right now, and he wouldn't notice for another hour because he'd be too invested in his lesson."

Rolling my eyes, I reached into my pocket for licorice wand. "You're so dramatic."

"No, I'm realistic," he said, grinning at me.

I scanned over my schedule, looking for extra information. "I wish this said where the library was."

"Surely we have nothing to actually study yet," Terry protested.

"No," I agreed. "But I need somewhere quiet where I can talk to Draco."

"Outside is an option," Terry said.

When the bell finally rang, I left Terry with Michael Corner and Anthony Goldstein and sped away to find Draco.

I found him straying behind the others in his house. He gave a start when I grabbed his elbow.

"We still need to talk," I reminded him.

He turned his head. Vincent and Greg were currently being entertained by Pansy and Daphne. "If we go now, they won't be able to follow us," he said.

"Let's go outside," I suggested

We walked down the hall at a brisk speed, breaking into a run when we reached the stairs.

"This is about Longbottom, isn't it?" Draco asked, squinting against the sunlight to look at me. "He was talking to your earlier, wasn't he? Before History of Magic started?"

Indeed, he had. The Gryffindor's had stumbled in briefly after the Ravenclaws and Slytherins, the happy, buzzing atmosphere still hanging over the group from their free period. Neville had paused as he passed, asking how my day had been and if I felt better from my ailment yesterday.

"Yes," I replied, my thumbnail between my teeth.

"He was the one that sat with you on the train," Draco realized, his eyes going wide.

I nodded.

"He looks a bit like an idiot."

Scowling, I punched Draco on the shoulder. "He's not," I said. "He's nice and you shouldn't call him names."

Draco rolled his eyes and turned his back to the sun. "So he doesn't know who you are?"

"Didn't ask about his surname," I said. "And he didn't ask me either."

"Are you going to tell him who you are?"

"No. No way."

Draco gave me a discouraging look and I sighed. Clasping my hands in front of me, I stared out at the lake.

"I can't tell him yet. He's so sweet and I wouldn't be able to bear it if he hated me."

"So what are you going to do?"

"Avoid him at all costs." It would be easy, especially since the only class we had together was History of Magic, in which most people separated themselves into their houses. I would have to keep an eye out for him at all times otherwise. "And probably the other Gryffindors, just to be safe."

"It won't work. He'll find out eventually."

I stared at the ground. "No, he won't."

Hey, guys. Just as a warning, the next chapter will have a time shift and some minor crushing. I'd appreciate it if you would review!